Dreams and Revelations
by turnthepage21
Summary: It's a few years after the war, and Hermione Granger is still having nightmares. Can she admit her feelings and accept help from the one person who makes her smile? Fred Weasley was forever known as the Joker, the Prankster, but he does have a serious side. Can he convince Hermione to ask for help and will he realize that his feelings might be reciprocated? CURRENTLY BEING EDITED!
1. Chapter 1: The Dream

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm officially back! I sincerely apologize for my over-a-year-long absence and I know there's not a lot I can do to make up for it. I hit a huge bout of writer's block and decided I needed to take some time away from writing and go back to some of the other things I enjoy. I've been reading a lot more (if any of you are looking for book recommendations, PM me – I have a huge list for almost any genre, except horror. I don't really read that stuff). I've also been watching a lot of television (Star Trek in case anyone is interested) and crocheting (So. Many. Blankets.)._

 _Anyway – I've been back on a kick of reading fanfic (I've always kept up with the ones I follow, but I wasn't really reading anything new) and I decided it was time to get back in the game and write.. And what better way than to familiarize myself with the story I've already started. So. Here I am, rewriting/editing_ Dreams and Revelations. _I realized along the way I said some things in later chapters that might not have made sense based on previous chapters, so this is almost a rewrite. I'm keeping many of the same elements, phrasing, etc. but I'm adding more to each chapter, building it out and expanding the world I was building (within a world of course). So – I've removed all of the chapters and am staring fresh._

 _*Official Disclaimers: 1) I do not have a Beta. All mistakes are my own, and I try very hard to catch them all. 2) Anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling. I am simply playing the wonderful sandbox that she created._

* * *

Chapter 1: The Dream

 _The ground was cold, black tile that seemed intent on being an abyss. Her body was being pressed further against it, as far as she could go, though the image seemed to go on forever. Looking up, a glass chandelier was hanging menacingly over her, ready to slice through her neck were it to fall. Malfoy Manor was covered in darkness, the only light in the room coming from the wand making her writhe in pain. The wand, as insane as its owner, curved along the deranged witch's hand as she pointed and carved at the body on the floor. Bellatrix Lestrange knew how to torture her prisoners, knew how to make them talk._

Tell them the truth _, an eerie voice said to her, causing shivers to go along her spine as break in the curse gave her pause to breathe._ The pain will stop….

 _And yet, the young witch continued to lie, continued to deny what Bellatrix wanted her to say. The eerie voice snarled in frustration as the curse was put upon her once more. Hermione's screams began to echo around the ballroom where she was held._

"This will teach a stupid Mudblood like you to never forget what you are!" _the crazy witch cried after a growl of frustration at the prisoner's continuous lies. The pain in Hermione's arm was blinding when Bellatrix brought the enchanted knife down and started engraving letters into her skin. Hermione couldn't tell if Harry and Ron were in the room, but she hoped they weren't so they couldn't see what was happening._

"Where did you get THE SWORD?!" _Bellatrix screamed, her shrill voice reaching all across the manor._

" _We found it, it's not real. I promise!" she cried, knowing that no matter what she did, the pain would not stop until she either died or lost her mind._

" _LIAR! CRUCIO!" The final letter carved into her arm, the curse seeping into her bones, the fire growing…_

Hermione woke with a start, her breath heavy and her bed drenched in sweat. This was the third nightmare this week. It had been a year and a half since the war ended and the nightmares still hadn't subsided. While they were less frequent than they were at the start, not much had changed. Each night, with very few free, a different scenario plagued her sleep, but many repeated, never to be forgotten.

Her arm twitched in pain, cause her to lightly rub her hand over the raised letters. Not many people knew the words were there – she covered them in a glamour when she wasn't wearing long sleeves. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Bill and Fleur were the only people to have seen what she was branded with. They were all sworn to secrecy – she wasn't ready to tell her family what had been done to her, they all had enough to worry about as it was.

Looking at the clock and reading it as 6 a.m., Hermione got out of bed shakily and made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water to cool herself off. _Well,_ she thought to herself, _at least I made it through most of the night this time._ As she drained the glass, a tapping sound at the window of her flat's common area grabbed her attention. Glancing over, she noticed Pig hovering at the window, a letter tied to his leg. Letting the small, frantic owl in, she led him to treats and water, then opened the envelope to find a familiar scribble.

 _Hermione,_

 _Mum is moving the weekly dinner to tonight and she wanted me to make sure you'd come. Also, I was wondering if you would meet me at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, say noon? Don't worry, nothing bad. Just wanted your opinion on something. Send Pig back as soon as you can._

 _Ron_

Hastily writing out her reply, Hermione pondered what Ron would want to talk to her about that was important enough for him to be awake this early on a Saturday morning. After their kiss during the battle, they had dated for about six months before they mutually decided that they couldn't care for themselves while they were caring for each other. They had had too many fights during their relationship and determined that being friends was much more important than trying to romantically like each other. Now, she reflected, the love she feels and always felt for Ron was never romantic, but more brotherly, like her love for Harry.

After sending Pig off to tell Ron she'd meet him and be there for dinner at the Burrow, Hermione pulled out a new piece of parchment and started writing to Ginny. She decided to tell Ginny about her dream and ask her to tell Harry about it as well.

 _Ginny,_

 _I had another nightmare tonight, one of the repeats. Malfoy Manor. I know I don't need to describe it to you again as you probably know it as well as I do now. My arm is still tingling and I'm hoping it goes away soon. I need to work harder at trying to find something that will let me control the dreams, without relying on a Dreamless Sleep potion. Think you could help me?_

 _Ron owled me this morning to tell me your mum is holding dinner tonight instead of tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing you and Harry. I know it's only been two weeks, but that's some of the longest we've gone without seeing each other since school._

 _See you tonight,_

 _Hermione_

Sending off the letter with her own owl Persephone, Hermione stretched and decided to get ready for her day.

* * *

It took a little while, but the wizarding world went back to normal after the war. Shops were repaired in no time, the Ministry was cleaned up and out and Hogwarts was rebuilt and began accepting students the immediate September after the war. Both Hermione and Ginny chose to return to Hogwarts for their final year, while the boys, along with Neville Longbottom, chose to join the Aurors to catch the remaining Death Eaters.

After completing her NEWTS (all Outstandings of course), Hermione whisked herself away to Australia in search of her parents. By the time she finally caught up to them, she realized that the memory charms she placed were too powerful. Too much prodding could have made them insane. So, she left them as Monica and Wendell Wilkins, a childless couple traveling the Australian Outback with no knowledge of magic.

Once she returned to London, Hermione immediately set out on finding a flat and getting a job. She lived in a small, one-bedroom flat overlooking muggle London, within walking distance to the Leaky Cauldron. The building was owned by a half-blood and both muggles and wizarding folk lived in the building, making for some very interesting accidental sightings. She enjoyed having one foot in each of the places she belonged to. On the one hand, she belonged in the wizarding world, where the magic of her childhood fantasies came to life. On the other hand, too many negative things happened in this world for her to completely ignore. So by staying in the muggle world, she not only got some distance from the place where she was a celebrity, but she also stayed true to her heritage.

Hermione also began working with the Department of Magical Creatures, a newly formed department that replaced the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Instead of regulating creatures, such as werewolves, the department was now focused on providing for them, securing their basic needs and handling disputes between humans and creatures. Hermione had helped build the department during her final year at Hogwarts and Kingsley Shacklebolt (who chuckled every time she called him Minister) insisted that she run the department upon completion of her education. He refused to take no for an answer, so there she was, one of the youngest Department Heads across the Ministry. She had several sub-teams that handled different aspects of the department, and she assisted each where necessary, in addition to management and attending Wizengamot sessions.

When she took the role, she insisted that she be permitted to work on projects as it suited her instead of delegating to her employees. Her current project, "The R.J. Lupin Werewolf Acceptance Act," proposed the acceptance of werewolves into normal society and provided provisions against discrimination at school and in the workplace.

* * *

After getting ready for the day, Hermione left her flat and decided a nice, leisurely walk to Diagon Alley was exactly what was required for help the after effects of her dream disappear. She grabbed a quick coffee and a scone from her favorite corner shop and began the easy trek to the Alley.

Upon arrival, she sent a quick wave to Hannah Abbot at the bar, who had taken over for her uncle after completing Hogwarts, and made her way to the brick entrance. She stood for a moment, enjoying the quiet and loneliness while finishing her scone before pulling out her wand and tapping the correct password to enter what she would always remember as her first interaction with the magical world. The bricks moved aside, allowing her to pass through them before they once again closed off the pub.

Many shops had returned after the war, but most decided to close for good, paving the way for new shops to crop up and introduce new goods and services. She smiled fondly at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, still as vibrant as ever; at Madame Malkins and Twilfit and Tattings, the only places one could get decide wizarding wear; OIlivanders, which had been one of the first to reopen after the war and still showed some signs of damage; Lavender and Parvati's Tea Shop, which sold some of the most amazing pastries she had ever tasted. Quickly finishing her morning coffee, she entered her absolute favorite store, Flourish and Blotts. She quickly checked her watch, showing she still had another two hours before she needed to meet Ron and decided she could very easily spend that time browsing (and probably purchasing books). She idly made her way through the stacks, casually picking up books here and there that she might be interested in and added some to the floating pile behind her. By the time she was finished perusing, it was about noon and she made her way to the front to purchase her items.

Exiting the shop, she casually started making her way back toward the Leaky Cauldron and stopped in front of her second favorite building in the whole alley: Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. Many people didn't know this about Hermione, but she hadn't ever disapproved of the pranks the twins pulled or the products they created while they were in school – only their methods of testing on unsuspecting first years. However, the magic, the intelligence and the sheer ingenuity of their products always made Hermione proud of them, and she did what she could to help them pursue their dream. She was quietly an investor in their company and to this day, they still did not know it was her who helped provide the funds after the war to rebuild and restock their store.

So lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice someone walking up to her until a "Well, well, well," was whispered next to her ear, making her jump. "If it isn't the brightest witch of the age."

Glancing up at her recognition of the voice, she kept her face neutral as she cocked an eyebrow at none other than Fred Weasley.

"And what on earth are you doing outside of your shop Fred Weasley? It looks like a madhouse in there," she replied with a grin.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked, shaking his shaggy hair that covered both of his ears. The twins had both grown their hair out to cover the ears after George's accident to continue to confuse people.

"Please, I've been able to tell you both apart for years," Hermione replied with a dismissal of her hand. "I'm actually on my way to the Leaky to meet you brother, so I'll have to catch up with you at dinner tonight."

Before she could turn and continue her journey, Fred easily pulled her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm.

"I'm on my way there as well, as it happens. We're closing for lunch and it's my turn to pick up. Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

She shook her head with a smile and allowed him to lead her towards their destination. He began talking about some incident in the shop this morning, but Hermione was barely paying attention to his words. Instead, she studied him, as she had done so many times before. She took in his goofy smile, his freckles that danced across his face, and his deep brown eyes that was always deep with emotion. She once again lost herself in her thoughts about how it might feel to have those eyes bore intensely into her own, she barely noticed the quizzical look Fred had on his face.

"Hermione?" Hearing her name brought her out of her reverie.

"Huh?"

He stopped and chuckled, his laugh reminding her of their younger days at Hogwarts. "You were staring. I've heard that it's considered rude to stare in some areas of the world."

She felt blush creeping up her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm a little out of it." It wasn't entirely false.

His smile fell them a small frown taking its place. "Nightmare?" he asked, and she nodded slowly in response. "Want to talk about it? I know you have the boys and Ginny, but sometimes it helps letting someone from the outside in. See if they can help."

He spoke with such conviction that Hermione knew he had to be speaking from experience. She'd always considered telling her adoptive family what she dreamed about at night, why certain words caused her to flashback to their time on the run, but she never wanted them to know just how broken she was. They had all been through so much, it wasn't fair to them for her to dump her problems on them, no matter how much they all meant to her.

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him in a small voice, hoping to convey that she appreciated his statement, but that she just wasn't ready for that. He gave her a small nod and then continued to pull her along the Alley, completing his story for her and causing her to fill with laughter again.

When they arrived at the Leaky, Ron was already waiting for Hermione at a table, early for once. He waved them both over. "Hey Hermione. Fred."

They both greeted him before Fred turned to Hermione. He pulled her hand back out from the crook of his arm and brushed a light kiss over her knuckles.

"I'll leave you here then. I'll see you both tonight?"

Ron replied in the affirmative when Hermione proved that she wasn't going to say anything in response to his brother. Ron probably thought that she was simply being her "business as usual" self, but in reality, Hermione was trying not to stutter. She hadn't been treated with such care since Viktor took her to the Yule Ball in her fourth year, but that innocent, gentlemanly kiss did not tingle as this one did. Fred left them and walked to the bar to pick up his food and Ron turned back to Hermione, who was still standing and silent.

"Hermione, you okay?" he asked as he gave her a gentle hug.

"What? Oh, yes. Sorry. I was just telling Fred that I didn't get much sleep last night so I'm a little out of it. Another nightmare."

Ron's face softened and he reached out to sit her down next to him. "Was it new or a usual one?"

"A usual one. The Manor one." Ron's expression quickly moved from compassion, to guilty, then immediately to understanding, but Hermione caught it. "It left me shaken again this morning and my arm was tingling. It's stopped now though."

Ron glanced at her glamoured arm, remembering how hard he tried to get back to her and stop it. It was one of the things he was still fighting to forgive himself for. "How about we get some food in us and distract each other?"

Hermione smiled indulgently at him, agreeing and looking forward to catching up with her friend.


	2. Chapter 2: The Revelation

_Author's Note: Okay - I decided to put up Chapters 1 and 2 today, but moving forward, I'll probably only be posting one chapter every other week. Might be more depending on how far ahead in editing and creating new chapters I get. So, here is the edited Chapter 2 and I hope you all enjoy._

 _Official Disclaimers: 1) I do not have a Beta, so all mistakes are my own. I try my best, but I'm only human. 2) Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. I am simply playing around in the wonderful land she created._

* * *

Chapter 2: The Revelation

Their food arrived in short order and the two were quietly catching up on each other's lives since the last time they saw each other. In typical Ron fashion, he started talking with his mouth full about his auror duties, complaining about how much paperwork went into the job. Hermione rolled her eyes good naturedly at his antics, honestly happy that he hadn't changed in some aspects after the war.

"So how is your legislation coming along?" he asked her around a mouth full of chips.

"We're getting close. The committee meeting is in two weeks to determine if the full Wizengamot will hear it. I was planning on asking Luna this week actually to see if perhaps she'd come in and speak to the committee, along with Andromeda. As a magi-zoologist, her opinion would hold some sway."

"That's a great idea Hermione! I'm sure Luna would love to help out." Ron's face held a large grin and she could tell that he was proud of her. But behind that, she could also see something else in his eyes, causing her to worry slightly.

"Listen, Hermione…you know how I asked you to come because I wanted to get your opinion on something?" She nodded, concerned when he suddenly grew nervous.

"I was wondering if you'd be okay with me being with someone else?"

She felt her mouth drop open in shock. That's what he wanted to ask her about? Why he was so nervous? Why on earth would he think that she wouldn't be okay with it? She of course wanted nothing but happiness for her best friend they had obviously discovered that she was not it.

"Ron! Why would you think that? Of course I'd be okay with it! I just want you to be happy." Hermione's smile for her friend was genuine and she gripped his hand across the small table. "If they are as wonderful as you are I'm sure it will be great."

Ron's face flushed red with embarrassment, but his smile told Hermione that her words made him happy.

"So…who is she?"

"Well, that's the funny thing." She looked at him curiously. "Luna."

Her smile grew and her eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh Ron that's wonderful! Have you asked her on a date yet? What's going on? Oh, Ginny is going to love hearing about this."

"Easy 'Mione, one question at a time." He winked at her when she threw a mock glare his way for the nickname she detested. "We met up at the twins' shop a few weeks ago and I decided to ask her out to dinner, mostly to catch up. Turns out I really like her and she really likes me, so we decided last night was a date. I really want to take her to dinner tonight, but I wanted to make sure you were okay with it all first. We may not be together anymore, but you're still my best friend."

"Ron, I am very happy for you and I am definitely okay with it. Don't let me get in the way of anything.

Ron smiled at her, all nervousness and embarrassment gone. "Great, I need to owl her and ask her to dinner. I didn't want to in case it would have been awkward."

The two quickly finished their meals, then got up to pay. They exited into Diagon Alley and made their way to the apparition point. They chatted about the different shops along their way, with Hermione stealthily yawning several times before checking her watch. It was just around two o'clock, which gave her a few more hours before dinner at the Burrow. Perfect for an afternoon nap.

Ron, however, had become must more observant since they were in school, and decided to take matters into his own hands. He took her arm in his as their reached the apparition point. "Stop pretending you're not tired. Why don't you come back to the Burrow with me? This way you can get a nap in and you won't have to fret about oversleeping so you'll actually sleep."

Hermione grinned sheepishly at him, a bit surprised he had caught her out. She nodded and gripped his arm a bit tighter, signaling she was fine with him Side-Apparating her. Ron quickly turned on the spot and with a _pop_ they had left the Alley and had landed just outside the Burrow's wards.

* * *

The two made their way up the lane and soon they were entering through the front door to the most magical home Hermione had ever seen – and there had been quite a few of them. The smells of a roast wafted through her senses from the kitchen as she took off her coat. A fire was dwindling in the fireplace, ready to be used at a moment's notice for both warmth and the Floo. In the corner, the familiar set of knitting needles were magically knitting away at what Hermione could only assume were this year's Christmas jumpers. Moving pictures lined one wall, most of them added since the end of the war. She watched as younger her threw her arms around Ron and Harry; as Ginny rode on her back during the Quidditch World Cup; as the Weasleys, all nine of them, waved in front of the Giza Pyramids. Harry and Hermione graced the wall almost as often as Molly and Arthur's own children, and it always made Hermione's heart swell with the love her adoptive family had for her.

These pictures never failed to make her smile, so she always made a point to look at them at least once per visit. Smiling at the memories, she noticed a new picture had been added. It looked much older than the rest, but not as old as the pictures of the Weasley and Prewitt grandparents. Two men stood side by side, winking at the camera. Cocking her head to the side, Hermione tried to place these two from her memories of the family. They almost looked like George and Fred, but just enough different that she knew it wasn't them. That meant they could only be Molly's younger twin brothers, Fabian and Gideon, who had died in the first war. She had never seen pictures of them before but their likeness to Fred and George was absolutely uncanny. Hermione could immediately tell that the twins had gotten their looks and frames from the Prewitt side of the family, as well as their mischievous streak. She could tell, simply by the picture, that the older twins had been troublemakers in their youth and likely would have been causing it to this day.

Smiling at the image, she made her way into the kitchen where she could hear Molly Weasley bustling about. Wartime sense still honed, the elder witch quickly turned at hearing someone entering the kitchen, hand in her apron reaching for her wand before she even realized who had snuck up on her.

"Oh! Hermione dear! I'm glad you could make it!" She quickly wrapped Hermione up in bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied, lingering in the older witch's hold and reveling in the motherly warmth that made her hugs famous. "Ron brought me over early after our lunch and said I could take a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night, so would you mind if I took a quick kip on the couch?"

Before she could finish, Molly was already pulling Hermione out of the kitchen and to the stairs. "How many times must I tell you to call me either Molly or mum. At this point you are my daughter in all but blood and name, so I insist you pick one." Hermione nodded mutely at the stern look Molly had given her. "Now, you're not going to nap on the couch as people will be coming and going all day. I'll put you in Fred and George's old room since it's actually clean."

Stopping on the second story landing, Molly pushed the door to the twins' room open and shuffled Hermione inside. "Now, I don't have to guess why you didn't sleep last night, so there's a bottle of dreamless sleep on the nightstand. Take a small gulp of that and you should sleep soundly for an hour or two. I'll be sure to send someone if you're still asleep by dinner.

Before Hermione could protest that sleeping potions didn't work as well as they used to, Molly was already out of the room, door shut and silencing charm in place. Smiling at the thought regardless, Hermione looked between the two beds in the room and picked the one on the left. She crawled under the covers and passed out almost immediately.

 _They were running down the halls of Hogwarts. It was the Final Battle, spells were flying everywhere and no matter what they did, they couldn't stop. They had to keep running. The Room of Requirement had been destroyed, along with the diadem, all thanks the Crabbe. The trio had just saved Malfoy and Goyle when they turned a corner. Two flashes of red hair caught their eyes and they glanced long enough to see Fred and Percy battling against Thicknesse, Dolohov and Rookwood. Suddenly, a large blast sounded and the trio were thrown off their feet. Getting up, they noticed the wall had collapsed and at its base was Percy, screaming as though his life depended on it. The trio ran toward him and started magically shifting the rubble to get to the person underneath it. But he wasn't breathing. They tried everything, magical and muggle, but Fred remained dead._

* * *

Fred Weasley popped home immediately after closing the shop for the day, his twin quickly following him. Greeting his mother in the kitchen, he was given the task of making sure Hermione was awake as dinner would be served soon. He quickly raced up the stairs to his old room and opened the door. Before he could get a word out, he noticed that she was thrashing around on his old bed. He immediately ran to her side and gripped her hand, his other hand running across her hair.

"Hermione. Wake up. Shhhh. Hermione, come on love. It's only a dream," he said to her in a near whisper, hoping to quietly pull her out of whatever was terrorizing her.

"No…" she moaned, pain and sadness lacing her voice. Fred became more worried and started to rub her arm.

"Come on Hermione, you ca do it. Wake up. Hermione!"

At her shouted name, Hermione's eyes flew open, her hand quickly gripping Fred's forearm as she roamed his face and body for any signs of injury.

"It's okay Hermione. You just had a bad dream. You're awake, the war is over. You can stop touching my chest now."

Hermione hadn't even noticed that her hands were roaming over him, looking for any signs of injury. Blush rose up her cheeks and she dropped her hands, twisting them together nervously. Fred looked at her curiously, but decided he wasn't going to question her about it. Knowing her, she would clam up instantly. No, he'd press her another time.

"I'm so sorry Fred. I thought I had gotten over that, but it used to be habit for me to check if someone's injured after I wake up and they're with me."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, grinning to keep her at ease. "I mean, I can't entirely blame you for wanting your hands all over a handsome wizard, such as myself," he joked, winking as he stood back up. "Mum wanted me to come wake you for dinner."

Glancing at her watch, Hermione was shocked that she had slept a full three hours.

"Oh goodness! Thank you Fred. Not just for waking me, but for getting me out of that dream."

"Happy to serve," he told her with a small bow and a quick smile. As he started to leave, she grabbed his arm to stop him, but she quickly dropped her hand, her gaze going anywhere but his. "Yes?"

"Uh…wou-would you mind asking Ginny to come up" He gave her a quizzical look. "I uh…uh…need her help taming my hair. I bet it's a crazy mess right now." She smiled up at him, her eyes not quite meeting his, and hoped that he wouldn't see her partial lie. IT was true she'd need help taming her wild curls, but there was another reason she wanted to talk to Ginny.

If he noticed anything amiss, he didn't mention it, and instead nodded and made his way out, closing the door behind him. Hermione began pacing the small room, grabbing her wand and tapping it against her thigh as she waited for Ginny. She had picked up the nervous habit after the way – it made her feel comfort knowing her wand was ready at a moment's notice. She tried to shake away the negative thoughts that were lingering, but it was too difficult.

 _Remember,_ she thought to herself, _Fred didn't die. You and boys were able to get through the rubble quick enough to save him. He wasn't mortally wounded._

She had to tell Ginny about her dream. She could tell Harry and Ron later, but it was important Ginny knew now. She'd be able to give her some advice as to how to handle the dreams with Fred in them.

A knock sounded at her door before creaking open to reveal Ginny, her long red hair flicked over her shoulder, her eyes worried for her friend.

"Hey, Fred told me you had a nightmare," she started as she walked into the room and sat on George's bed. "Which one was it?"

Hermione sat on the bed next to Ginny and sighed. "The Fred one…"

Ginny immediately wrapped her friend in a hug that was very similar to her mother's. "Explains why Fred looked so worried. Apparently you really freaked him out." Ginny smirked as she said it. She didn't need Hermione to explain the dream as she'd heard it a hundred times. Instead, she decided she would distract her.

Moving behind her, Ginny started to work Hermione's hair from its tangled mess. "You really did need help taming your hair. And here I thought that was nothing more than a ploy to get me up here."

Hermione blushed and sighed. "What am I going to do Ginny? I had even started checking him for injuries before my brain could figure out it was him. I haven't done that in months! I basically made a fool of myself."

Ginny tsked. "Hermione Jean Granger is not one to make a fool of herself. Besides, what makes you think that he would think you a fool for worrying about him?

"Come on," Hermione scoffed. "He couldn't possibly know what I was dreaming about, so how else would he take what I did? I mean, yes, we're friends, but we're not that close and I'm definitely not his type. He likes the more athletic types, like Angelina."

"That was just the Yule Ball, they stopped dating a few months after that. Besides, George and she are going steady now."

"Still doesn't mean I'm his type."

"Then I guess that means we'll have to figure out his type." Ginny stood up and admired her handy work. She had pulled Hermione's hair into a French Braid, knowing her brother liked it best that way. Now all she had to figure out was how to get her quiet, studious friend to understand that her goofy, trickster brother was looking for someone exactly like her.

"Come on!" the red head said suddenly. "I heard mum calling us down. Everyone must be arriving and we need to get our seats quickly."

"Ginny," Hermione stopped her before they left the room. "Thanks."

Flashing a grin, the youngest Weasley responded, "Happy to serve!"

And with that, the two best friends made their way downstairs, Hermione feeling much better after talking everything over. Ginny always knew how to bring her up from these types of dreams, because only Ginny knew her secret. Only Ginny knew that Hermione fancied Fred Weasley.


	3. Chapter 3: The Dinner

_Author's Note: Here is the next update! I do apologize for the delay - Hurricane Dorian decided it wanted to make an appearance near me and after working from home several days in a row, I didn't really feel like working on the chapter. But! Here it is!_

 _Thank you beardie04 for letting me know about the duplicate paragraph in Chapter 1! I have gone in and corrected that so it should look good now!_

 _*Official Disclaimers: 1) I do not have a Beta. All mistakes are my own and I try to catch them, but I am only human. 2) Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. I am simply playing around in the wonderful world she created._

* * *

Chapter 3: The Dinner

Dinner at the Weasley household was always a boisterous affair; it was hard not to be with so many family members. Hermione was in her normal seat between Bill and Fred, but, as usual, she kept her conversation mostly with Bill. Ginny sat across from her, but Hermione was so engrossed in her discussion on curse-breaking that she failed to see the glint of determination and scheming in the other girl's eye and how she kept looking between Fred and Hermione.

Curse-breaking with Gringotts was most complicated and detailed than Hermione originally thought, but these almost weekly conversations with Bill and Fleur helped open Hermione's eyes to how exciting it could be. She had briefly considered joining the profession after the hunt for the horcruxes, but after their attempt for Hufflepuff's cup, she didn't trust the goblins and they definitely did not trust her. Still, there were some days she wished she'd become a curse-breaker, especially when Fleur would talk to her about the research she was doing or when Bill would tell her about some ancient text they had found out in the field.

As the conversation lulled, Hermione took to looking around the table at her pseudo-family. She smiled at seeing all of her loved ones sitting together. Harry was at one end of the table with Arthur, discussing some muggle contraption (it sounded like they were discussing Walkmans); Fred and George kept trying to prank Angelina into eating a Canary Crème, with Ginny egging them on. At the other end of the table, Molly was having an animated conversation with Lunda and Ron. The matriarch had been so happy to see Ron walking up the path with Luna's hand in his, she had purposefully shifted a few people (namely Ginny and George) in order for Luna to sit near her so she could get to know the young girl better.

 _This is what makes the nightmares worth it_ , Hermione thought to herself, a wistful smile gracing her face. Nothing could beat family having a good time and spending it together.

Fred glanced over at her just then and his insides warmed at seeing her lips curl. Her smile is what made him notice her, truly notice her, for the first time in his fifth year, her third. It was always genuine and her whole face lit up in happiness.

Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, "Enjoying the view?"

She giggled, forgetting that she was trying to avoid making a fool out of herself in front of him. "It's hard not to. I mean, look at all of us. We made it. I was just thinking about how this makes the nightmares worth it all."

Her smile turned sad for a moment and he felt himself frown slightly with her. He hated knowing his friends had nightmares, but only George was aware that he was plagued by them as well. He'd be hypocritical to think that someone should share theirs with him if he won't share them back.

"Hey," he said instead, trying to keep the mood light. "I know of a way you can help me make it even better."

She looked at him with both interest and worry, wondering what the sly Weasley Twin grin could have in store for her. The prefect in her was waking up, getting ready to scold him for something.

"Well," he continued to whisper, not giving her a chance to respond, "I've been trying to get Angelina to eat this Canary Crème, but she won't do it. So, I was thinking, instead of having Angelina embarrass herself, why don't we embarrass Ron in front of his new bird?"

"Fred!" Hermione whisper-admonished. "Why on earth would you think I would help you with such a thing?"

"Because it would make the whole evening that much funnier and make the nightmares even more worth it."

Hermione looked at Fred and saw something in his eyes she didn't believe she would ever see: Fred Weasley silently admitting he too had nightmares. Her heart softened for him; she'd never once thought this man would ever be anything other than happy and joking. Sure, she had seen his determination and seriousness in the war, but seeing the sadness in his eyes after all this time was a shock to her system. She lowered her eyes for a moment, before raising them back to him with a mischievous glint in them.

"Well," she responded, not letting on what she saw in him. "Normally, I'm not one for such tricks, but how can I help?"

Fred seemed stunned for a moment. "Wait. You mean to tell me that the great Hermione Granger is corruptible? Of wait until George hears about this." He started to turn his head to his twin, but Hermione pulled on his sleeve, making him turn back to her.

"Oh no mister. This is just going to be you and me. Just think of how surprised everyone will be after we pull this off."

Fred considered this for a moment and decided that it was definitely worth it. So, he began to murmur his plan in her ear.

After a few minutes, Hermione nodded imperceptible at Fred, letting him know that part one of the plan was complete. Fred caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, continuing to keep up his dialogue with Angelina and reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Does anyone want some?" he asked the table at large. Suddenly, all conversation stopped and everyone looked at him warily. Many people at the table began vehemently shaking their heads in the negative, and whether it was from not being hungry or not wanting to be pranked, Fred and Hermione couldn't be sure, but it was time to take action.

"I'd love some Fred," she replied, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. She watched as Ron's mouth dropped open slightly. "Ron, would you like some as well?"

Ron looked between the bowl, Fred and her, a battle clearly raging in his mind. She knew he wanted the potatoes, boy couldn't get enough food in him on the first two rounds, but was it worth taking some from Fred?

"Uh…Hermione? Are you sure you want to eat those?" She looked over at Ginny, confused, but saw the gleam in the younger girl's eye. She knew something was up. "I mean, they did come from Fred."

"Nonsense," Hermione scoffed. "Why on earth would Fred give me jinxed potatoes? He knows better than to try and pull those stunts with me." With that statement. She put some more potatoes on her plate and began to eat.

Everyone waited with baited breath to see if anything would happen, secretly hoping Fred had done something. Not that anyone wanted to get on Hermione's bad side, but more to see what would happen to Fred. When everything appeared fine, Hermione saw the battle in Ron's head had ended and he eagerly reached for the bowl. She passed it over and continued eating her food, not wanting anyone else to suspect anything. She stopped the minute she heard the distinct sound of Ron digging into the potatoes and looked up. Suddenly, the crème took effect and with a puff of smoke, a canary was now sitting in Ron's dinner chair.

The entire table busted out with laughter and the transfiguration ended, leaving Ron's face red with embarrassment. Molly began scolding Fred for having humiliated his younger brother in front of his new girlfriend and only stopped when Luna placed a hand on her arm, calmly informing her that Ron looked quite marvelous as a bird and thought it was quite humorous. It made her feel like part of the family.

* * *

Dinner quickly finished after that, Ron being very careful with everything else he ate. Bill and Fleur helped Molly clean the kitchen while the rest of the gang moved into the living room, Harry and George still in laughter and tears. Luna began a game of chess with Ron to get his mind off the prank and Ginny suggested a game of exploding snap, something Fred, Angelina, Harry and George quickly agreed to. Hermione moved to the couch and immediately pulled her latest book out of her bag.

She tried to continue from where she had left off the night before, but was finding it difficult to concentrate. For others, it would have been the noise the group was making while playing their games. However, Hermione had quickly learned in her first year of Hogwarts to tune that out. She couldn't help but focus on each of her friends, thanking Merlin that all of them were still here to enjoy this time together.

After reading the same page for the fifth time, she finally gave up trying. Keeping her book open to keep up the appearance that she was reading, she covertly looked over her friends. Ginny, her best girlfriend, smiled triumphantly as she played against Harry, who kept ruffling his already untidy black hair and pushing up his glasses. Her best friend, her brother in almost every sense of the word since first year, she knew Harry better than anyone. He hadn't told her yet, but she knew that he was working up the courage to ask Ginny to marry him. They'd been dating since the end of the war and they were perfect for each other. It was only natural for him to ask soon – it's just who he is. Ginny was one of the few people, Hermione included, who could get Harry out of his funks, especially around the anniversary. She would let him have his space, as did everyone else, but she inserted herself as soon as it was necessary, never taking no for an answer, in order to make sure he wouldn't cave in on himself.

Hermione knew Harry still had nightmares, probably more than herself, but she knew Ginny was always with him to make it better. Glancing over, she noticed George smirking at her, caught in the act of observation. She smiled at him sweetly, a glint in her eye and suddenly he yelped, his face turned crimson as everyone began laughing at him. He looked back down and noticed that his deck had exploded all over his hands. He glared back up at Hermione who was in an uncontrollable fit of laughter on the couch, her book laying forgotten on the floor.

Fred was watching her with laughter on his lips and warmth in his heart. This was his favorite Hermione; the free, unrestricted Hermione that only made an appearance every once in a while and only to certain people. He was glad that he was considered part of that group and always tried to make this side of her come out. This was the side that Fred had always loved.

Once Hermione had control of herself again, the group grew quiet as well before Ginny quipped, "Who knew that Fred could corrupt her so badly. First Ron's food, now distracting George. Who's next?"

"Yeah Hermione," Harry questioned, "How did Fred corrupt you?"

"I think the more important question," Bill interrupted before Hermione could speak, "is how you managed to jinx Ron without jinxing yourself."

Hermione smiled up at Bill, who had walked in with Fleur and was now sitting on the couch with her. "Time delay charm. I mixed the cream in the potatoes, but set a charm that would only activate the ingredient once someone ate it after a few minutes. From there, it was simply a matter of convincing Ron to eat it, something Fred and I knew wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish." She winked at Ron who had once again gone beet red in embarrassment. "Everyone knows George and Fred would never prank me as there'd be hell to pay and that is what made up Ron's mind about the food."

"That didn't answer the question about how Fred corrupted you," George replied, a grin on his face but the wheels in his head silently spinning about this new development. "I mean, we've been trying to get you on our side for ages and haven't gotten anything out of you yet."

"And we don't count the Umbridge year," Fred continued, anticipating her argument.

"Those were special circumstances…"

"That demanded rules be broken…"

"Therefore, doesn't count."

The twins had a mischievous gleam in their eyes as they finished speaking. Everyone knew they had her cornered.

"Well," Hermione began, straightening in her seat and twirling a curl around her finger. "I was looking about the table, seeing how happy everyone was and I was just thinking about how wonderful it is that our family can be together. These times make all the nightmares worth it. And Fred wanted to help take my mind off the negative thoughts I suppose, and convinced me that making a little mischief would make everyone's smiles brighter."

"'Ermione, zat was a wonderful idea. Eet definitely 'elped lighten ze mood." Fleur gave her a warm smile as George stood up from his spot on the floor.

"Ear Ear!" he cried as he walked back towards the kitchen. "I think this definitely calls for some drinks." They heard him rummaging, then the tinkling of glasses as the clinked together, floating in front him as he returned, his wand in one hand and a bottle of firewhiskey in the other. Another small flick of the wand and the whiskey began to pour itself into the glasses before floating to each person.

Fred stood up, holding his glass in the air and looked around at everyone before clearing his throat. "Ahem! I'd like to propose a toast. To the brightest witch of any age, for finally letting loose and managing some mischief!"

Everyone raised their glasses and took a deep sip, allowing the whiskey to flow down their throats with a soft burn. George spoke next, one of the first to recover from the sting.

"To the prankster Fred, who finally convinced our resident bookworm that she should be up to no good." With a wink, he downed the rest of his glass and summoned more whiskey into it.

Bill, Fleur and Luna all looked rather confused by the two statements that were used pointedly and had cause Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron to giggle and smile at the twins.

Hermione stood next, raising her glass as George poured more liquid into it. "To Ron and Luna," she stated, looking over at the couple who had cuddled together under a blanket, holding each other's hands. "May you both be happy." Everyone cheered the new couple, Luna smiling and Ron's ears turning slightly pink at the top.

The night went on like this for a while, people making toasts to individuals, couples, events. Bill and Fleur stayed for a few rounds before popping back home to Shell Cottage. Not long after, Ginny and Luna went upstairs to Ginny's room, followed a little while later by Ron and Harry.

This left Fred, George and Hermione just sipping on the remaining firewhiskey. Before too long, the twins noticed that Hermione was slurring her words slightly, her speech slowing as she talked about her legislation. Her eyes began to droop and yawns interrupted her before the twins shared a look.

"Alright Hermione, I think it's time we took you home." George said, standing up from the couch, wavering ever so slightly. Fred followed, a bit more steady on his feet.

"But I don't want to stop," Hermione whined. "We've been having fun!"

Fred suppressed a laugh and picked her up in his arms bridal style, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to apparate on her own.

"Right, now Hermione, where exactly is your flat again? I've only been there the once so I need a reminder." Fred glanced down at the witch in his arms and noticed her eyes were closed and her breathing steady. With a smile, he realized that she had already fallen asleep. He looks over at his twin and another silent conversation passed between them. With a nod, the two quickly disapparated back to their flat.


End file.
